Album Moods

Radio-Bueno

AllMusic Review
by Bradley Torreano

Unlike his first album, the 2000 collection God Damn Doghouse, Ken Cormier's Radio-Bueno is a more relaxed, subdued effort. It would be quite hard to match the oddball charm of that release, so instead Cormier explores the poppier side of his sound that was just below the surface on his previous material. "Bug Dreams" opens with one of the creepiest skits ever recorded, but it turns into a good-natured acoustic funk jam that reawakens his manic energy. He also tries to explore the psychotic folk-rap that he attempted on the last album with the ugly "Everybody Kind," a psychedelic mesh of Kraftwerk keyboards and Ween vocals. With his thin voice and keen ear for melody, he often sounds like an evil Peter Holsapple. This is apparent on "I Know You Know" and "The Avenue" especially, which are by far the two most normal songs he has ever released. Cormier is a bright talent that is filled with ideas; whether or not he could ever harness his energy into one genre or one style is another matter entirely. As it stands, Radio-Bueno is a more mature take on his twisted debut, and should appeal to anyone who enjoys this kind of whacked-out indie pop.